A group of solicitors in Cork has resigned from the criminal legal aid panel in protest over fee changes introduced by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan that they say are unsustainable.About 50 solicitors are on the panel in Cork City and county. On Wednesday at the Anglesea Street Courthouse in Cork City, about 20 left the building after informing judges they were withdrawing from the panel.At Cork District Court, veteran solicitor Frank Buttimer told incoming Judge David Waters it was a “source of deep regret” but they had been left with no alternative. “Having heard the situation that emerged yesterday at the Dáil committee we have affirmed our decision to withdraw from the legal aid panel from today’s date – we appreciate the disruption it will cause to the courts, but we believe it is not of our making as we have been forced into this position,” he said. The Oireachtas justice committee has asked the Minister to suspend the new payment model, which will see solicitors receive a flat one-off payment of €520 irrespective of how many appearances they have to make to represent a client.Buttimer told The Irish Times that the only way to resolve the issue was for O’Callaghan to negotiate an agreement with the Law Society, the solicitors’ representative body. The walkout by Cork solicitors meant all criminal cases in both Cork District Court and Cork Circuit Criminal Court were adjourned on Wednesday Earlier this month the president of the Southern Law Association, Jonathan Lynam, predicted the fee changes would have serious implications for the ability of defendants to get legal representation in vast swathes of rural Ireland in particular.“The implications are a mass exodus of local representation, creating what are effectively ‘legal deserts’ ... this proposed scheme completely undermines access to a fair trial, particularly for vulnerable defendants like children, individuals with severe mental health issues, those with addiction or those facing language barriers,” he said. A Department of Justice document – Simplifying Criminal Legal Aid Payments in the District Court – said legal aid costs in the District Court alone have almost doubled from €19 million in 2015 to €37 million by 2024.On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for O’Callaghan confirmed the new fee structure would come into force from Wednesday. “In addition, a further increase of 8 per cent in criminal legal aid fees will apply for all cases heard in the circuit and higher courts from July 1st. Reform of the criminal legal aid scheme is a commitment under the Programme for Government.”